The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled on Friday that graduates of law schools accredited by bodies other than the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar may now sit for the Tennessee bar exam. The order ends the council's position as the state's only approved accreditor of law schools.

The council, an independent arm of the American Bar Association, has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump's administration. Tennessee now joins the Republican-leaning state supreme courts of Alabama, Texas and Florida, which have all moved to loosen ties with the council. Ohio is currently reevaluating ABA accreditation. To date, no state has banned ABA accreditation outright.

What does the order change?

Until Friday, only graduates of council-accredited law schools qualified to take the Tennessee bar exam. The order broadens the pool of eligible candidates to include graduates of law schools approved by other accreditors.

For practitioners and prospective applicants, the practical effect is straightforward: graduates of non-council-accredited Tennessee law schools gain a path to licensure in the state without first establishing equivalency through a separate process. Out-of-state graduates of similarly accredited institutions may also sit for the exam. The order also raises questions of degree portability that the council itself flagged in its response.

How did the ABA council respond?

Council chair Carla Pratt addressed the court's decision directly in a statement. "The council deeply values its long-standing partnership with the Tennessee Supreme Court and respects the state's authority over legal education and bar admissions," Pratt said. "We look forward to continuing to work side by side with the court to support solutions that protect Tennessee consumers, lower barriers for students and foster innovation while maintaining the strong nationwide degree portability that Tennessee law graduates deserve."

The reference to "nationwide degree portability" signals the council's concern that state-by-state fragmentation of accreditation standards could complicate multistate mobility for Tennessee law graduates.

Why is this happening now?

The Tennessee order arrives while the council faces a U.S. Department of Education five-year review of its status as national accreditor of law schools. Last month, the council appeared before the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity at a contentious hearing on that status, which the council has held since 1952.

After several hours of debate, the committee voted not to make a recommendation. The Education Department is expected to decide the council's national status by year-end.

What happens next?

The Education Department's year-end decision will determine whether the council retains federal recognition as the national accreditor of law schools. A loss of that status would accelerate the state-by-state defections already underway in Tennessee, Alabama, Texas and Florida, and could prompt other states currently studying the question, such as Ohio, to follow Tennessee's model of recognizing multiple accreditors.

For now, Tennessee graduates of non-council-accredited schools should confirm with the state Board of Law Examiners which accreditors the court's order recognizes before registering for the exam.

• Tennessee Supreme Court order issued Friday broadens bar exam eligibility
• Alabama, Texas and Florida have taken similar steps; none ban ABA accreditation
• Council has held national accreditor status since 1952
• Education Department decision expected by year-end